Rutgers University

Women’s Oppression in the Medical Field

Joanne Strand

April 25, 2016

Over the past years, women have made tremendous strides toward equality in our

current society. However, there is still discrimination against women in the medical field

today. As part of the wider movement for women’s rights during the mid-1800s, women

campaigned for admission to medical schools and the chance to learn and work alongside

men in the professions. These rights came very slowly and when women did qualify as

doctors, they were typically excluded from employment in medical schools, hospitals,

clinics, and laboratories. To this date, the health care profession is fundamentally sex-

segregated, where 84% of physicians are male and 97% of nurses are female. Women

health professionals are constantly being oppressed in the medical field because they are

belittled and held back from holding high positions, they make an average of $12,000 per

year less than their male counterparts, and they are unequally represented in health care

professions, where they make up only about one-third of the physicians in the United

States. Discrimination in the workplace is common where male physicians and nurses

will belittle and undermine female physicians and nurses. It is also found that female

peers of any race have lower incomes than their male counterparts, even after

adjustments. It is extremely important to address these issues because women deserve fair

treatment and fair pay; after all, they are humans too.

Women are constantly oppressed in the medical field because they are

discouraged and held back from holding high positions. Research shows that females in

general surgical training programs are less likely than males to achieve board certification

to become a surgeon. It is unfortunate that in our society today women are viewed as less

capable than men and thus, they are discouraged from moving up in the ranks to become

doctors. In an article entitled, “Sexism Is Alive, Well in the Healthcare Industry,” Dr.

Yvette Canaba, a podiatric surgeon and physician at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in

New York, is familiar with this predicament. She stated, “It’s always had that belief that

females are unable to withstand the pressures that one experiences in the operating

room… You have a patient’s life at stake and, depending on the surgery, there’s the

belief that women are the weaker sex and are unable to withstand the emotional and

physical stressors that accompany that kind of a setting” (Haskins, 2016). This is

extremely demeaning to women because both men and women who aspire to be surgeons

go through the same schooling and same training and undergo the same examinations.

There really is no reason why society believes that women cannot deliver the same equal

and quality care as their male counterparts. After interviewing Mrs. Barbara Turci, a

nurse at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, she agreed and said, “I’ve always wanted to be a

nurse and I never really thought about being a doctor. Yet something that occurred to me

is that I certainly was not encouraged to be a doctor… it was just assumed that if I were

going into the medical profession, I would be a nurse because I’m a woman.” At an early

age, Turci was never introduced to becoming a doctor simply because of her gender and

it was the norm for women to be nurses rather than doctors. Women in the medical field

are always being hindered from moving up to higher positions. Even when women do

enter the field of medicine to teach and become medical school professors, they are

promoted much more slowly than their male colleagues. Women are constantly

discriminated against in the medical field because they are held back from holding high

positions and are seen as less able.

Women are also unfairly discriminated against in the medical field because

female health professions are paid significantly less per year than their male coworkers.

In an article titled “Women Doctors Make Less than Men: study,” author Genevra

Pittman stated, “Female doctor-researchers make an average of $12,000 per year less than

their male counterparts, even after their work hours and area of specialty are taken into

account, according to a study. The wage gap between men and women is nothing new,

but among doctors in particular it wasn’t clear if the disparity was due to different career

choices and work habits in men and women that could have affected their pay… But even

after accounting for income disparities that could have been due to career and life choices

and controlling for these factors, researchers found women still made less than men doing

the same type and amount of work.” (Pittman, 2012). It is unfair that women are paid less

than men for having the exact same qualifications and doing the same work. This

research clearly displays that after controlling for all factors, the only differing factor that

determined one’s pay was their gender. In an article titled, “Important Considerations in

Assessing the Gender Wage Gap in Medicine,” the author claimed, “Indeed, in medicine

women tend to pursue lower-paying primary care specialties. However, a 2009 study that

focused solely on the incomes of primary care physicians found that compared to white

males, female peers of any race had lower incomes than their male counterparts, even

after adjustments for differences in work effort, physician characteristics, and practice

characteristics were made” (Martinez, 2015). So, race in the medical field doesn’t have

much of an impact in salaries as compared to gender in the medical field. In my

interview, nurse Barbara Turci said, “The healthcare teams in the hospital where I work

in now are more diverse in a lot of different ways including gender. But I do know that at

my last job, I know I was making less than a gentleman, who was in a similar role to me,

same level, managing the same number of people, same responsibility. He was there a

couple of years longer than me but the percentage of the salary was a lot higher…the

wage gape was significant. I don’t think I was paid so poorly but then again with my

expectations, I don’t know if it was partly because I was a woman or if it was just me.” It

is unfortunate and sad that women think their equal work is the reason they are getting

paid less, when really, it is just because of their gender. This income gap is ridiculous

because female doctors and nurses are offering the same services at a lesser pay than their

male counterparts.

Women are unequally represented in health care professions, where women make

up only about one-third of the physicians in the United States. To this date, the health

care profession is fundamentally sex-segregated, where 84% of physicians are male and

97% of nurses are female (Haskins, 2016). It is unfortunate that the majority of

physicians are males and the majority of nurses are females. Even female doctors are

clustered in the four lowest-paid specialties, which are general family practice, pediatrics,

psychiatry, and internal medicine. It’s unfortunate that “surgery and its various

specialties, which not only command the highest incomes but also the highest public

confidence, are comprised of only 8% women” (Haskins, 2016). Even when women are

represented in health care professions, they are typically nurses because many women in

the medical field are always looked down upon, thus, they don’t have the confidence to

excel, make their way to the top, and become physicians. Being a doctor is seen as being

“too prestigious” for women to achieve.

Many obstacles hinder women’s success in the medical field, especially gender

bias, where male doctors and nurses belittle and discriminate against female doctors and

nurses. In an article titled, “Bias Persists for Women of Science,” the author claimed,

“Science professors at American universities widely regard female undergraduates as less

competent than male students with the same accomplishments and skills, a new study by

researchers at Yale concluded” (Chang, 2012). It is unfortunate that even females in

universities who are pursuing a medical career face unfair discrimination and gender bias.

Dr. Barres is a neurobiologist at Stanford University’s Medical Center, who was born a

woman and became a successful scientist. Then at age 42, he had a sex change operation.

He talks about the way he was treated differently after the sex change. In the article

entitled, “Male Scientist Writes of life as Female Scientist,” Dr. Barres claimed, “By far,

the main difference I have noticed is that people who don’t know I am transgendered

treat me with much more respect than when I was a woman… I can even complete a

whole sentence without being interrupted by a man… I had a conversation with a male

surgeon and he told me he had never met a woman surgeon who was as good as a man.”

(Vedantam, 2006). Dr. Barres was treated with much more reverence simply because he

was a man. One of the most fascinating yet depressing things I read was when Dr. Barres

overheard someone talking about the new male him versus the old female him, and

assuming that the old female him was his sister. The person said something along the

lines that Dr. Barres did so much better work than his sister. In actuality, he was doing

the exact same work as himself, but with a sex change. His work was being judged

differently solely because of his gender. Furthermore, male doctors and nurses

continually belittle female doctors and nurses. More specifically, the nursing field has

been known to be undervalued, underpaid, and denied power within the medical

hierarchy. Nurse Barbara Turci claimed, “The other thing is the respect level. Even

though the nurse could be with the patient and the family 90% of the time, not

discounting the role of the physician and their expertise, but people looked up to the role,

and still do, to the role of a physician, usually a male dominated profession over the

nurse… If I went over to talk to them and explain something, they would ask me maybe

for the doctor and sometimes male physicians would talk down to nurses. However, I do

think there’s more awareness about that now. But I was also witness to episodes of

bullying from physician to nurse.” It is very sad that women workers in the medical field

are less valued simply because of their gender.

Regardless of race, women were always paid less than men in the medical field.

In an article entitled, “Being a Person of Color in Science and Medicine,” an osteopathic

medical student wrote, “It is difficult to find mentors, especially female women of

color… Imagine coming from a neighborhood where no one has made it through college,

not to talk about being a doctor. It’s very discouraging. That is why it is important for

those of us who have ‘made it’ to strive and push harder and serve as motivations and

inspirations for those that are to come after us. We can encourage and show other

students of color that they can achieve any height… My experience was extra tough

because I moved here from Africa. During my first year in a 4-year institution, I met a

professor who didn’t know me well enough, but prejudged me because I had come from a

community college. He felt like I couldn’t manage the workload and asked me if I was

sure I wanted to follow the pre-med track. That encounter was disheartening and I almost

gave up my plan to become a doctor. With God and the support of my family I worked

hard and I am thankful to be at the point where I am today” (Ujunwa, 2013). This colored

female student faced discrimination not only because of her gender but also because of

her race of being African. She was also judged on the fact that she came from a poorer

background and was seen as less worthy of attending a higher institution. It is unfortunate

that women of color and women of different classes are judged for this when they simply

want to excel in the medical field.

It is extremely important to address these issues because women deserve fair

treatment and fair pay. Women deserve the same rights as every single human being in

our nation. Every human born in our nation deserves the same rights because no one is

less worthy than the other. Because women are treated unfairly and paid less, they are

seen as inferior to men. Women face so much discrimination in the medical field, such as

receiving pay or benefits that are not equivalent to male peers at the same level, not being

included in administrative decision making, being treated with disrespect by nursing or

other support staff, and not being fairly considered for a promotion. We need to address

this social issue of women oppression in the medical field in different ways. We, as

women and as future doctors and nurses, need to campaign for fair pay and fair treatment.

By gaining support from other women with similar views, organizing large groups, and

spreading the word to the media, we can spread awareness of this growing gender

discrimination. A viral video and airtime on TV will certainly catch the attention of many

people in our nation, who will soon learn that women in the medical field have been

unfairly discriminated against for years and still are. Afterwards, we will continue to fight

for fair pay and fair treatment for these women in the health professions!

The medical field should have the most intelligent people working, no matter their

sex. However, women are constantly oppressed in the medical field. They should not be

discriminated against because female doctors excel in their careers by actively engaging

patients in care, offering emotional support, and engaging in psychological discussion,

which, in turn, results in better health outcomes. Women constantly face gender bias in

the medical field because they are belittled and held back from holding high positions,

they make an average of $12,000 per year less than their male counterparts, and they are

unequally represented in health care professions, where they make up only about one-

third of the physicians in the United States. It is extremely important to address these

issues because women deserve fair treatment and fair pay. Women should never be seen

as inferior to men under any circumstance. This really disheartens me because my dream

career has always been to become a doctor. As a woman and knowing that I will get paid

less than my male coworkers simply because of my gender is disturbing. However, I will

persevere and continue to reach for my goal because I know that, as women, we will

continue to make strides to fair treatment and fair pay for all women in the medical field!

References

Chang, K. (2012, September 24). Bias Persists for Women of Science, a Study Finds.

Retrieved April 15, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/science/bias-

persists-against-women-of-science-a-study-says.html?_r=0

Haskins, J. (2016, March 25). Sexism Is Alive, Well in the Healthcare Industry.

Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.healthline.com/health-news/sexism-

is-alive-in-healthcare

Martinez, M. (2015, May 18). Important Considerations in Assessing the Gender Wage

Gap in Medicine. Retrieved March 26, 2016, from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maximilian-martinez/important-considerations--

in-assessing-the-gender-wage-gap-in-medicine_b_6566762.html

Pittman, G. (2012, June 12). Women doctors make less than men: study. Retrieved March

26, 2016, from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-12/lifestyle/sns-rt-us-

women-doctors-paybre85b1dn-20120612_1_female-doctors-women-doctors-

researchers

Ujunwa, C. (2013, November 12). Being a Person of Color in Science and Medicine.

Retrieved April 20, 2016, from https://theejbm.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/being-

a-person-of-color-in-science-and-medicine/

Vedantam, S. (2006, July 13). Male Scientist Writes of Life as Female Scientist.

Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201883.html

Transcription of Barbara Turci’s Interview

Joanne: So basically, my topic is women discriminated in the medical field… so you’re

a nurse and you work currently at Robert Wood Johnson hospital. So I’m just going to

ask you a few basic questions and delve deeper into gender discrimination in the medical

field.

Barbara: Okay, sounds good!

Joanne: So how was your family life?

Barbara: So I am one of 6 children. I have an older brother, older sister, and three

younger sisters… My dad didn’t have a college education; he delivered bread to stores.

And then my mom was for the most part home with us but then she did part time work in

the school cafeteria… One of my brothers did not go to college… he’s an electrician. I

would say that although my parents encouraged us to go to college, there wasn’t a lot of

financial support. We had to rely on student loans, scholarships, etc.… However, my

older brother did get financial support. For me, I always knew that I wanted to be a nurse

ever since I was little… Any of us who went to college went to commuter schools. All

the girls… my sisters… did things like become a secretary or a nurse. I went to a four-

year college in Long Island called Mello, an all girl catholic college.

Joanne: Wow, that’s really interesting... I went to a catholic middle school so I know

what that’s like… so what do you do as your career now?

Barbara: Before I ever understood what nursing was, it was all I ever wanted to do. I

was a nurse’s aid, I worked in a nursing home, I worked in a hospital. And I got exposed

to different types of care in those settings. When I was in college, I knew I wanted to do

adult care and in a hospital. I work typically in the surgical and cardiovascular surgery

floor and I found it very interesting. I then went into the intensive care unit and worked in

Morristown Memorial and overlooked hospitals in their ICUs.

Joanne: So my topic is on the discrimination against women in the medical field. So as a

nurse, have you ever felt bias or discrimination against yourself because you are a

woman?

Barbara: I’ve always wanted to be a nurse and I never really thought about being a

doctor. Yet something that occurred to me is that I certainly was not encouraged to be a

doctor; it was just assumed that if I was going into the medical profession, I would be a

nurse because I’m a woman.

Joanne: Right

Barbara: So at an early age, I was never introduced to becoming a doctor. The other

thing that I noticed when I went into nursing and from working in hospitals was that there

weren’t many women who were physicians and there weren’t many men who were

nurses…

Barbara hesitates for a few seconds

Barbara: I went to a predominately all women’s college for nursing and there were some

guys who were going for nursing, but it was very rare. It was rare to have men in my

classes and it was rare to work with a male nurse. So I think it was just a gender

differentiation between the nurses and the physicians. The other thing is the respect level.

Even though the nurse could be with the patient and the family 90% of the time, not

discounting the role of the physician and their expertise, but it was like, you know, people

looked up to the role, and still do, to the role of a physician, usually a male dominated

profession over the nurse.

Joanne: I completely agree…

Barbara: Like if I went over to talk to them and explain something, they would ask me

maybe for the doctor and sometimes male physicians would talk down to nurses.

However, I do think there’s more awareness about that now. But I was also witness to

episodes of bullying from physician to nurse.

Joanne: Well, with that being said, we can transition into my next question… so, how

does discrimination of women in medical fields affect them and their work? Do you have

any examples?

Barbara hesitates for a few seconds

Barbara: Again, I do think that it has dramatically improved and thankfully there’s a lot

more awareness about it. The healthcare teams in the hospital where I work in now are

more diverse in a lot of different ways including gender. But I do know that at my last

job, I know I was making less than a gentleman, who was in a similar role to me, same

level, managing the same number of people, same responsibility. He was there a couple

of years longer than me but the percentage of the salary was a lot higher…

Joanne: The wage gap is unfortunate…

Barbara: The wage gape was significant. I don’t think I was paid so poorly but then

again with my expectations, I don’t know if it was partly because I was a woman or if it

was just me.